Dumping-bucket



1.,.0. MITCHELL.

DU.N| PING BUCKET. APPLlcATloN FILED No1/.9, 1915. RENEwED 11111.13,1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. MITCHELL, 0F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

DUMPING-BUCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led November 9, 1915, Serial No. 60,471. Renewed January 9,1919. Serial No. 270,437.

`fo all who/a t may concern.'

I e it known that I, JOHN C. MITCHELL, a citizen ot' the United States,residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey.have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in Dumping-Buckets,ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

ThisI invention relates to dumping buckets, particularly buckets forconveying concrete and discharging into a mold or forni. In moldingconcrete pipe thel buckets heretofore in use have not proved altogethersatisfactory. especially where the pipe to be molded is ot' small size.In such caso the rate of outflow is too fast; and if effort is made todiminish the rate by making the discharge orifice of the bucket smallerthe concrete freluently` in fact, usually, packs in the oritice and willnot flow at all unless poked ont with a stick. It. is accordingly thechief object of the invention to provide a bucket that will discharge atany desired rate without. choking, the rate ot discharge and the instantot' discharge being under complete control. Another object is to providea. bucket without. working parts such as levers, hinges, bolts, cams,and the like, which can be clogged with concrete. A further object is toprovide a bucket that can be cleaned easily and eltectively. T o theseand other ends the invention consists in the novel teatm'es ot'construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described.

)ne form ot' the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,in which-- Figure 1 is a side view showing the bucket in section andattached to the derrick.

Figfz is a similar view showing the bucket suspended over a mold, withthe contents discharging into the mold.

The bucket 10. or at least its lower por# tion,is conical in form, thatis, tapering downwardly, and its lower end is open. To make the bucketmore stable when standing on the ground it is provided wit-h three ormore legs, preferably four, of which two are shown at 11. The bucketpreferably has a bail composed of chains 12 connected to a ring 13 forengagement with a hook 14 on the fall-rope 15 ot. the derrick 16. Thefallrope runs over sheaves 17, 18, to the drum 19 which is driven bytheusual engine or motor, not shown.

The discharge opening is closed by a plug 20, the upper portion of whichis conical and the lower portion spherical; the latter being more than ahemisphere, so that the plug can take any position in the bucket andstill close the opening in the bottom. The plug is manipulated andcontrolled lby means ot' a vert-ical rod 21 securely fastened in theapex of the conical portion and terminating in a hook or eye 22 forengagement with a hook 23 on the dumping-line 21. The latter passes oversheaves 25, 26, on the boom 1G, and is secured by belaying it around acleat 27.

The plug 2() being in place, the bucket is loaded and hoisted to theproper' position for dumping, (say above the form or mold indi ated lat28, Fig. 2), with the eye .22 above the hook 23 onthe dumping line 24,which. as stated, is made fast to t-he'eleat 27 and hence cannot pay outover the sheave 25. The workman on the platform 28 then connects thehook23 to the eyey 22, and the bucket is lowered. Since the plug 20cannot et'cct of agitating the contents at the dis? charge .opening,thereby eti'ectually overcoming the tendency of the concrete to pack inand choke the opening. The discharge opening is lin et'ect annular'being the space between the wall of the bucket and the spherical bottomof the plug; and its citeetive area, and hence the rate of discharge,depends upon the extent of the relative movement of the two parts. Thatis, with the plug held against downward movement, the `farther thebucket is lowered the more rapidly it will empty. By properly adjustingthe height of the hook 23 with respect to the mold the rate of dischargecan be accurately regulated to suit the work in hand. ycourse thedischarge aperture can be opened by raising the plug, but in general themethod described is0 more convenient.

The dumping may, if desired, be controlled by the derrick operator. Insuch case the dumping line is hooked to the plug before the bucket ishoisted and is drawn taut and made fast to the cleat when the bucket isin position over the mold. Then the bucket is lowered as described.

The bucket and plug are` in eeet selfcleaning as the flow of concretesoeurs them bright and clean at each dumping operation,

and there are no projecting parts on which concrete can iind easylodgment. -However,

if it is ever necessary to clean the parts, as may happen when theapparatus has been long out ot' use, the plug can be quickly removed,leavingr the whole interior of the bucket accessible.

it will be observed that it while the bucket is emptying, the line 24e,by which the ball 2() is suspended., be slacked ott", the weight of theball, or the weight of the material in the bucket above the ball, orboth, will seat until he'desires to deliver more material.

It while the bucket is discharging, the ma tcrial should pack in theopening, the flow can be started again by raising and lowering thebucket slightly, the movement relativo to the lball being suiiicient tobreak any arch that may form across the bottom of the bucket.

1t is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theconstruction herein specifically described but can be embodied in otheryforms without departure from its spirit.

l. A bucket for concrete adapted to discharge its contents through thebottom, coin'- prising a receptacle the lower portion of which has asteep downward taper and a circular opening at its apex; the interior ofthe said tapered portion being tree of obstructionsiand the innersurface thereof being smooth, to permit free and unob structed fiow ofthe concrete downwarc ly to the said opening; with a closure for theopening, comprising a body havingl a spherical lower portion ot largerdiameter than the opening and having its upper part formed to shed theconcrete downwardly and laterally and prevent accumulation of concretethereon, and a member attached to the said closure at the top andextending upwardly by which the closure can be raised and loweredindependently of thc receptacle.

2. A bucket for concrete adapted to dis charge its contents through thebottoni, comH prising a receptacle the lower port-ion of which has adownward taper and a. circular opening at its narrowest portion; thcintorior oiE the tapered portion being' tree 'from obstructions andtheinner surface thereof being` smooth, to permit free and unobstructediiow of the Concrete downwardly to the said opening; and a closure forthe openingl comprising a body having a spherical lower portion oflargerpdiameter than the'openinzgr Iand having a steeply taperingconical upper portion whereby to shed the concrete downwardly andlaterally and prevent accumulation of concrete thereon, and a memberattached to the apex of the upper conical portion and extending upwardlyby which the closure can be raised or lowered independently of thereceptacle.

3. A bucket for concrete adapted to discharge its contents through thebottoni, comprising a receptacle the lower portion ot which has a steepdownward taper and a circular opening at its narrowest portion, theinterior of the tapered portion being` free from obstructions and theinner surtace thereof being smooth, to permit t'rce and unobstructedflow ot concrete downwardly to the said opening; and a closure for theopening, comprising a body having;- a sphericai lower portion ot' largerdiameter than the opening and having its upper part in the form of asteep cone to shed the concrete. downwardly and laterally and preventaccumulation ot' the concrete thereon, and a rod or stein attached tothe said closure at the apex ot its upper conical portion and extendingupwardly by which the closure can be raised and lowered independently otthe receptacle.

in testimony whereof i hereunto aiiii; my

signature JOHN C. MTCHELL

